Manual Voter Register: Raila, Ruto Differ Over Its Use

NAIROBI, Kenya, Jun, 30 – On Wednesday the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) met with Azimio la Umoja-One Kenya Alliance’s Presidential candidates Raila Odinga, United Democratic Alliance’s  William Ruto, Roots Party’s Professor George Wajackoya and Agano Party’s David Mwaure amid final preparations ahead of the August polls.

Following discussions on what the poll busy has in store for the candidates’ the two major candidates, Odinga and Ruto appeared to disagree with the decision by IEBC that it will use the manual voter register.

Raila said that he supported the use of the physical register should the electronic version fail.

“If a voter puts ten fingers and was not identified, that means their name is not in the electronic register. But suppose they have a voter’s card… you go to the manual register to check if their name is there. If yes, then they should be allowed to vote,” he said.

UDA’s Secretary-General Veronica Maina and Turkana Governor Joseph Nanok however differed with the decision saying that the electronic voter register will guarantee the electoral process is transparent and accessible to voters.

“I think it is important we keep to the KIEMS kit. It has a complementary method, and it is preloaded. Once we verify we have the correct register going into the kit then we will have the confidence that what is preloaded is going to be okay,” said Maina. 

She further said that the electronic identification process was the primary mode of initiation and thus it should remain like that.

By leaving a digital footprint, it is easier to identify who voted and where they further argued.

During a meeting with presidential candidates ahead of the August 9, 2022 polls, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has said that it will use the Kenya Integrated Election Management System (KIEMS) kits to identify and verify voters.

IEBC Chief Executive Officer Marjan Hussein Marjan said that the poll body will use similar methods used during the 2017 elections.

The KIEMS kit will require voters to use their fingerprints or biometrics for identification during the process.

Alternatively, IEBC said that it will use the Alphanumeric search, which involves scanning the backside of the voter’s ID Card.

This will facilitate the retrieval of voters’ details from the KIEMS kit.

This means it will only be used if the biometric system does not work as intended.

“The retrieved information will then be used, by having the voters scan their fingers in again for a crosscheck of their details in the Kiems kit,” said Marjan. 

The poll body also said that it will use a replica of the voter’s details through the physical register in order to access personal data. This will however only be applicable if the two methods of identification fail.

Caution was meanwhile expressed that the physical register could be manipulated, particularly in remote areas where observers may not be present or even in a candidate’s political backyard.

“The officials in these areas may use the information in the register and key it on the Kiems kit to retrieve the voter’s information and use it to cast a vote. This is something that can be exploited and therefore it can lead to people winning illegitimately,” he said.

Similarly to what was used in 2017, once a voter is identified, a clerk at the polling station will issue them with a form, designated 32A after crossing their names out.

“When you identify voters through the electronic system, the system archives those who have voted…meaning if the said party was to turn up to cast a vote then they would not be in a position to. The system will automatically sound an alarm,” said Marjan. 

According to IEBC, so far an additional 14,100 KIMS kits were purchased bringing the total to 55,100.

An audit revealed that at least 41,000 kits are in pristine condition and will be used during the polls.

In the 1,450 wards, IEBC Says that there are about 46,223 polling stations.